Financial Planning

New FDIC Trust Account Rules: What You Need to Know

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) recently implemented important changes to the deposit insurance coverage rules for trust accounts, including payable-on-death (POD) and in-trust-for (ITF) accounts. These new rules, which went into effect on April 1, 2024, aim to simplify the coverage calculation and provide more clarity for depositors. The key changes are: Simplified Coverage […]

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More Money in Your Pockets: The Importance of Asset Location

Asset allocation—an investor’s proportion of stocks, fixed-income investments, and cash—has been well documented to be the primary determinant of performance for broadly diversified portfolios. But performance in this case is often calculated on a pre-tax  basis, when at the end of the day we, as individuals, must eat with after-tax  dollars. So, when implementing an asset allocation

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How Long Should You Keep Financial Records and Tax Returns?

Effectively managing your financial records and tax returns is a fundamental practice for maintaining financial order and complying with tax laws. As time passes, paperwork accumulates, raising questions about the appropriate duration for retaining these documents. With the advent of digital record-keeping and online accessibility, organizing these files has become more streamlined. However, it remains

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Roth IRA Conversion Considerations for Retirees and Near Retirees

One of the most frequent questions I receive from clients is whether they should consider a Roth IRA (individual retirement account) conversion. As such, I thought it would be a worthy topic for a blog post. Given that I work primarily with people who are nearing or already in retirement, my discussion will be focused

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Spend Like There Is a Tomorrow

As we all know, saving for retirement requires hard work and discipline. But spending intelligently once one is in retirement can be equally challenging. Indeed, one of the most critical decisions retirees face is determining how much to withdraw from their investment portfolios—or more specifically, determining a sustainable withdrawal rate that reduces their risk of depleting their assets during

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